Crisis in the Camp

Whoa! Fancy talking to God like this! My goodness! Moses has had enough. How could he possibly talk to God in this exasperated manner? Where’s his respect? Where’s his awe, his terror of his God?

Well, Moses has 600,000 people shouting at him for meat in the desert and he’s had enough. Even if all the flocks were slaughtered or all the fish in the sea caught, it wouldn’t be enough, he says, and he can’t stand any more (Numbers 11:21-22). What does God do with this situation? Do you know, God just listens to Moses. He doesn’t interrupt him, He doesn’t turn his back on him, He doesn’t get angry. He listens to Moses right to the very end and then God says, “Moses, my friend, you need help! And I have a solution for you. I am going to equip seventy other men to help you and support you. This is too much for you. You’re right”.

God could simply have provided the meat for the people. But he didn’t. He heard Moses in his terrible distress and trouble and the first thing God does is to care for Moses, the man, his friend. What a loving Father! There’s no reprimand for Moses for his behaviour. God is a deeply loving caring Father and He sorts Moses out, first of all by appointing those extra leaders.

And then Moses must tell the people that God will provide the meat. So, Moses tells them. And next morning the quail come. Fresh quail, a metre deep, falls on the land overnight!

Prayer: God, thank You that you are such a real God. You deal with real situations, real disasters, real challenges, real emotional stress we’re in. Thank You for the way You listened to Moses in all his panic and exhaustion, and You loved him and honoured him and intervened to bless him and put him back on his feet again. And when Moses had experienced Your love and care for him, he went straight out and obeyed You – and saw You do the miracle he needed. I want to know You in my life like that. You are my Father. Thank You. Amen.